Priests pray during a solemn vespers and benediction service in the extraordinary form at the Church of the Holy Trinity of the Pilgrims in Rome Jan. 6, 2010. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

As expected, there was widespread media coverage of
the first cardinals appointed by Pope Francis last month. But only a few media
outlets noted that one of the new cardinals, Archbishop of Perugia Gualtiero
Bassetti, is known for being closely associated, as both celebrant and
homilist, with the celebration of the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite, the
traditional Latin Mass based on the 1962 missal and promulgated by Blessed John
XXIII.

While there has
been criticismboth muted and openof Pope Francis from certain traditionalist
circles, and concern that the new pope may be hostile to his predecessor’s motu
proprio Summorum Pontificum and its
implementation, there have been signs of the Holy Father’s openness to and pastoral
concern for tradition-minded Catholics, including the elevation of Cardinal
Bassetti.

Bishops of Apulia

During their ad limina visit, the bishops from
Italy’s Apulia region had complained to Francis about the division created
within the Church by the defenders of the Mass in the ancient rite, Vatican
expert Sandro Magister reported on May 25, 2013. The issue was introduced by
the archbishop of Bari, Francesco Cacucci, who told Vatican Radio that Pope
Francis had exhorted the bishops to “live the relationship with the liturgy
with simplicity and without superstructures” (English translation via
Rorate Caeli). According to Magister, the bishop of Conversano and Monopoli,
Domenico Padovano, reported that Pope Francis “exhorted him to be careful with
the extremisms of certain Traditionalist groups, but also to treasure tradition
and allow it to live in the Church along with innovation.”

Several celebrations were held
in honor of the 25th anniversary of two important traditional religious
congregations, the Fraternité
Saint-Vincent-Ferrier (FSVF) and the Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP). The FSVF
is rarely reported on outside of France, and it is not surprising that that
country was the main focus of the congregation’s celebrations. The FSSP Silver
Jubilee celebrations, on the other hand, started on June 27-29, 2013 at their
Mother House in Wigratzbad (Germany) and culminated with a pilgrimage to Rome,
where a series of ceremonies and events took place at the FSSP personal parish
in Rome, Santissima TrinitÀ dei
Pellegrini, on October 18. Other celebrations of the
Silver Jubilee were scheduled in the US and France.

It was in
connection with the FSSP anniversary that Pope Francis sent a letter-benediction
dated October 28, addressed to the superior of the District of France, Father Vincent
Ribeton, through the apostolic nuncio in Paris, Archbishop Luigi Ventura.

Expressing thanksgiving for the work accomplished by the FSSP at the
service of ecclesial communion cum Petro
et sub Petro, Pope Francis notes that “it was in a moment of great trial
for the Church that the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter was created. … In a
great spirit of obedience and hope, her founders turned with confidence to the
Successor of Peter in order to offer the faithful attached to the Missal of
1962 the possibility of living their faith in the full communion of the Church.”

The Holy Father went on to encourage the members of the FSSP to pursue
their mission of reconciliation among all the faithful, whatever their
liturgical sensibility. “By way of the celebration of the sacred Mysteries
according to the extraordinary form of the Roman rite and the orientations of
the Constitution on the Liturgy Sacrosanctum
Concilium, as well as by passing on the apostolic faith as it is presented
in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, may they contribute, in fidelity to
the living Tradition of the Church, to a better comprehension and
implementation of the Second Vatican Council.” The Holy Father concluded by
exhorting the FSSP, according to their own charism, to take an active part in
the mission of the Church in the world of today, through the testimony of a
holy life, a firm faith, and an inventive and generous charity.

CISP

The highest concentration of traditional celebrations and events came a
couple of weeks later with the second CISP (International Coordination Summorum Pontificum) pilgrimage, which
brought to Rome a thousand tradition-minded Catholics from around the world over
the weekend of October 24-27. Three pontifical Masses in the extraordinary form
were celebrated during the pilgrimage, with the second featuring a message from
the Pope to the celebrant, Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, through his newly
appointed secretary of state, then-Archbishop (now Cardinal) Pietro Parolin.

With his message, which was read to the faithful by the secretary to the
Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, Archbishop
Guido Pozzo, “His Holiness Pope Francis wishes to extend his most cordial
welcome and hopes that, during your devout passage here among the tombs of the
Apostles, you will comply more closely with Our Lord as celebrated at Mass and
in the public prayer of the Church, and thus receive new energy in living the
life of the Gospels. The Supreme Pontiff has called down upon you the gifts of
the Holy Spirit and the maternal protection of the Mother of God, and gladly
gives Your Eminence and all the Bishops, Priests, Religious, and faithful who
have come to this sacred celebration his Apostolic Blessing to bring you all
peace and spiritual zeal.”

FIUV-Latin
Mass Society

Two other major traditionalist events took place in Rome
in early November: the first Latin Mass Society (LMS) Pilgrimage,
November 7-12, and the biennial Federatio
Internationalis Una Voce (FIUV) General Assembly, November 9-10. Although
the LMS pilgrims were not directly involved in this FIUV meeting, the choice of
these dates meant Latin Mass supporters from both organizations, from many
parts of the world, had opportunities to attend Solemn Masses and other
traditional liturgies in major churches in Rome.

At the FIUV proceedings, Cardinal Dario Castrillon
Hoyos was asked during the Open Forum on Sunday, November 10 about the
situation of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate. He also assured the
audience that the measures adopted by the Holy See restricting the FFI’s use of
the extraordinary form were taken only as a result of internal problems that
had nothing to do with the celebration of the extraordinary form of the Roman
rite: “I met Pope Francis very recently and he told me that he has no problem
with the old rite, and neither does he have any problem with lay groups and
associations like yours that promote it.”

About the Author

Alberto Carosa

Alberto Carosa is a Catholic journalist who writes from Rome, especially for US Catholic newspapers and periodicals.

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